Binky The Doormat
Footballguy
how old are you?
even if you were born well after '71, you may be surprised how many you know
drop some comments/reactions - this is good stuff
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1971 NEXT 100 songs Number one with a bullet/hammer - Layla · Derek & The Dominos (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Bracie Smathers
- Start date
even if you were born well after '71, you may be surprised how many you know
drop some comments/reactions - this is good stuff
Bracie Smathers
Footballguy
Their is soo much R&B/Soul/Gospel/Funk/etc. from that era that its a bit overwhelming IMHO. I'm going to go deeper on my list but left off tons of great tunes and you are right. It is too low after thinking it over but I'll plow forward.
Bracie Smathers
Footballguy
I was going to go with Yes 'Starship Trooper' but it lacks a certain Wakeman feel on the Hammond which would play right into timschochet's hands as he abhors Rick Wakeman, just kidding.
I went with a song that isn't very deep and a group that was a manufactured creation by a writing/producing team that wrote songs and got the rights to the name 'The Grass Roots' then they went out and found unknown rock groups and recruited them to sing their songs as they collected most of the royalties.
This was the third incarnation of 'The Grass Roots' with a fun pop song, great vocalist and the Wrecking Crew playing backing instruments. I think that is why the opening is so tight with a catchy hook that grabs ya.
Released May 1971
I went with a song that isn't very deep and a group that was a manufactured creation by a writing/producing team that wrote songs and got the rights to the name 'The Grass Roots' then they went out and found unknown rock groups and recruited them to sing their songs as they collected most of the royalties.
This was the third incarnation of 'The Grass Roots' with a fun pop song, great vocalist and the Wrecking Crew playing backing instruments. I think that is why the opening is so tight with a catchy hook that grabs ya.
Released May 1971
Anarchy99
Footballguy
If Joy to the World falls into 1971, then IMO it needs to be near the top of the list.
Bracie Smathers
Footballguy
It is the top song on Billboards hot-100 for 71 but this isn't a re-listing of BB-100 as that had two Donny Osmond songs in the top-7 and his song 'One Bad Apple' curiously made it to #30 on the Billboard R & B Hot 100 list that year.
The original lyrics were 'Jeremiah was a PROPHET'. The group asked Hoyt to change the lyrics and tempo. It came together but they didn't like the song and were shocked by its success. I think it had to do with many things coming together. I think the Christmas Carol of the same name subconsciously had an effect, the entire group singing harmony gave an 'every man' appeal since everyone seemed to sing along to the song, and their are other small things like one of the band members providing a very-deep repeating vocal bass at the end, just lots of stuff made it happen. I loved the song a lot as a kid and understand why people would want it higher but I also understand why Tim didn't place it on his list.
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Bracie Smathers
Footballguy
Billy Joel is one of those solo artists you might think is shallow but this is from his first album at age 22 after he was in two rock bands and moved on. One thing I found poignant is he had something similar to James Taylor who had checked himself into a mental institution where James used that as grist for his hit 'Fire and Rain' which is about that experience.
Joel checked himself into a hospital to get treatment for depression and you can see and feel the depth of that experience in this song. Its a really beautiful tune.
Released November 1, 1971
"She's got a light around her, And everywhere she goes, A million dreams of love surround her, everywhere."
Joel checked himself into a hospital to get treatment for depression and you can see and feel the depth of that experience in this song. Its a really beautiful tune.
Released November 1, 1971
"She's got a light around her, And everywhere she goes, A million dreams of love surround her, everywhere."
![[scooter]](/data/avatars/m/22/22287.jpg?1659477690){kind=avatar}
[scooter]
Footballguy
Janis loved to cover the Bert Berns songbook. "Cry Baby" was originally done by the late great Garnet Mimms, and was written by Bert Berns & Jerry Ragovoy -- the same guys who also wrote "Piece Of My Heart".
DocHolliday
Footballguy
Didn’t mean to imply that this wouldn’t be good. I assume that there isn’t going to a lot of familiar songs after Tim already listed his 100.Binky The Doormat said:
Binky The Doormat
Footballguy
Bracie Smathers
Footballguy
Three months after the album LA Woman was released Jim became one of the founding members of the the 27 club. >> Members of The 27 Club
Released April 19, 1971
Released April 19, 1971
zamboni
Footballguy
Bracie Smathers
Footballguy
The debut album by the Stylistics has been called "a sweet soul landmark".
For the kids who don't know the acronym TSOP its a subset of soul from the city of brotherly love and the birthplace of the Constitution. The Stylistics debut album scored big on the Billboard R&B charts helping to keep TSOP a force in the early 70s especially with this hit.
Released November 6, 1971
For the kids who don't know the acronym TSOP its a subset of soul from the city of brotherly love and the birthplace of the Constitution. The Stylistics debut album scored big on the Billboard R&B charts helping to keep TSOP a force in the early 70s especially with this hit.
Released November 6, 1971
otb_lifer
Footballguy
Bracie Smathers
Footballguy
Every top-100 needs room for a little ukulele.
Released 22 February 1971
Released 22 February 1971
krista4
Footballguy
Great one. I have two songs from Ram definitely above this and four more possibly...
Bracie Smathers
Footballguy
From ukuleles to Greek folk.
Used to play this song a lot as a DJ back in the late 80s. I love the polyglot lyrics and it is obvious that 71 was the year of themandolin.
#83 Ruby Love - Cat Stevens
Released 1 October 1971
EDIT: CORRECTION. Cat wasn't playing a mandolin he was playing a Greek bouzouki which is a long-necked lute type of instrument. The sound is very similar to the mandolin so I'll forgive myself.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The bouzouki (/buːˈzuːki, bʊˈ-/,[1][2] also US: /bəˈ-/;[3] Greek: μπουζούκι [buˈzuci]; alt. pl. bouzoukia, from Greek μπουζούκια), also spelled buzuki or buzuci, is a musical instrument popular in Greece. It is a member of the long-necked lute family, with a round body with a flat top and a long neck with a fretted fingerboard. It has steel strings and is played with a plectrum producing a sharp metallic sound, reminiscent of a mandolin but pitched lower.
Used to play this song a lot as a DJ back in the late 80s. I love the polyglot lyrics and it is obvious that 71 was the year of the
#83 Ruby Love - Cat Stevens
Released 1 October 1971
EDIT: CORRECTION. Cat wasn't playing a mandolin he was playing a Greek bouzouki which is a long-necked lute type of instrument. The sound is very similar to the mandolin so I'll forgive myself.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The bouzouki (/buːˈzuːki, bʊˈ-/,[1][2] also US: /bəˈ-/;[3] Greek: μπουζούκι [buˈzuci]; alt. pl. bouzoukia, from Greek μπουζούκια), also spelled buzuki or buzuci, is a musical instrument popular in Greece. It is a member of the long-necked lute family, with a round body with a flat top and a long neck with a fretted fingerboard. It has steel strings and is played with a plectrum producing a sharp metallic sound, reminiscent of a mandolin but pitched lower.
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Bracie Smathers
Footballguy
One hit wonder of a song that almost never happened.
Released November 1971
The story behind this song is amazing because it was a last minute throw-in after the producer screwed up and erased a track that was supposed to be on Jon's debut album. In a panic he churned out this hit. He never charted in the top-100 the rest of his career.
This horror story is similar to Billy Joel's debut album where the producer of Joel's first album 'Cold Spring Harbor' screwed up the master by running it too fast which made Joel's voice sound a semitone too high. Joel had a fit when he first heard it and saying he sounded like Alvin of the Chipmonks and smashed the record the first time he heard it.
Joel went back a decade later to fix the production error by re-recording every song to the right speed and 'She's Got A Way' charted in 1982 over a decade after its original release.
Jonathan Edwards one-hit wonder where the producer's error made him famous and another producer error that delayed and 'probably' lit a fire under Billy Joel. Serendipitous producer errors made lemonade out of a 'lemon' situation.
Released November 1971
The story behind this song is amazing because it was a last minute throw-in after the producer screwed up and erased a track that was supposed to be on Jon's debut album. In a panic he churned out this hit. He never charted in the top-100 the rest of his career.
This horror story is similar to Billy Joel's debut album where the producer of Joel's first album 'Cold Spring Harbor' screwed up the master by running it too fast which made Joel's voice sound a semitone too high. Joel had a fit when he first heard it and saying he sounded like Alvin of the Chipmonks and smashed the record the first time he heard it.
Joel went back a decade later to fix the production error by re-recording every song to the right speed and 'She's Got A Way' charted in 1982 over a decade after its original release.
Jonathan Edwards one-hit wonder where the producer's error made him famous and another producer error that delayed and 'probably' lit a fire under Billy Joel. Serendipitous producer errors made lemonade out of a 'lemon' situation.
lardonastick
Footballguy
Bracie Smathers
Footballguy
The amazing Laurel Canyon story has to get told sometime in this forum as King went their for inspiration producing Tapestry with a few Laurel Canyonites joining her on the backing vocals (James Taylor and Joni Mitchell) on this song that she originally wrote for the girl-group the Shirelles.
Funny tidbit about the Shirelles version of the song that came out in 1960. It was banned by many stations for being 'too sexually suggestive'. King slowed down the tempo to produce a masterpiece.
Released February 10, 1971
Funny tidbit about the Shirelles version of the song that came out in 1960. It was banned by many stations for being 'too sexually suggestive'. King slowed down the tempo to produce a masterpiece.
Released February 10, 1971
squistion
Footballguy
Because it was seen as a variation of "Will you still love me in the morning?"Bracie Smathers said:
I also liked a sped up danceable version by Len Barry from 1965 (of The Dovells) who had a hit earlier with 1-2-3.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0iBGoU8H_c
Bracie Smathers
Footballguy
Daltry was not a part in this song as it was originally to be on a Pete Townshend project that was never finished. Simple story. It was about Pete traveling around in a mobile home which he acquired not long before writing the song.
Released 6 November 1971
Released 6 November 1971
Bracie Smathers
Footballguy
It was originally released in 1960. A time of segregation and the Shirelles were an all-black girl group.
This was the first single that an all-black girl group had ever reached number one so their may have been racial overtones that were the real cause for it being banned.
The Wikipedia page says it was banned due to 'sexually suggestive' lyrics.
Will You Love Me Tomorrow
ProstheticRGK
Footballguy
@Bracie Smathers Thanks for this! '71 was definitely a great year for music. Definitely room for 2 lists. Love the addition of more funk, R&B, soul and gospel.
I'm ranking the songs with the like button.
'thank you' handshake= don't remember ever hearing this, but it rocks.
heart = man, I haven't heard this in forever, but it's really good!
like = yeah, good song.
I'm ranking the songs with the like button.
'thank you' handshake= don't remember ever hearing this, but it rocks.
heart = man, I haven't heard this in forever, but it's really good!
like = yeah, good song.
squistion
Footballguy
Perhaps but I doubt that. If the lily white Chordettes had recorded it, there would have been similar censorship issues in 1960.
Bracie Smathers
Footballguy
My pappy said, "Son, you're gonna' drive me to drinkin' If you don't stop drivin' that Hot Rod Lincon.
Released November 1971
Released November 1971
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
I was in 4th grade when this came out so it was right in my wheelhouse. Along with Chuck Berry’s My Ding-a-Ling.
TBH my tastes hadn’t become all that much more sophisticated by the time my senior year rolled around 8 years later.
Boom Boom (out go the lights)
[scooter]
Footballguy
This song has an interesting history.
The original inspiration is "Hot Rod Race" by a country act called Arkie Shibley and his Mountain Dew Boys (1950). It hit #5 on the country charts, but failed to make a dent on the pop chart because it contained a controversial line ("We were ripping along like white folks might") which resulted in an airplay ban in several markets. Tiny Hill filled the void with a watered-down version that reached #29 on the pop chart the following year. Shibley ended up releasing several sequel songs over the next couple of years which expanded on the plot -- "Hot Rod Race No. 2", "Arkie Meets The Judge (Hot Rod Race No. 3)", "Hot Rod Race No. 4 (The Guy In The Mercury)" and "Hot Rod Race No. 5 (The Kid In The Model A)".
The country was probably sick of hot rod story songs by 1952, but by 1955 they might have been ready to open up their hearts and ears again. And, so, Charley Ryan and The Livingston Bros released "Hot Rod Lincoln". This was what was known as an "Answer Song", where the lyrics (and sometimes the melody) of one song are specifically written to refer to events or questions or themes from a previous song.
Side note: the most (in)famous Answer Song might be "Bear Cat" by Rufus 'Hound Dog' Thomas (1953), which was released by Sun Records as an answer to Big Mama Thornton's "Hound Dog". Thornton's record label ended up filing a copyright infringement lawsuit against Sam Phillips (owner of Sun Records), which Phillips lost. In order to pay for the lawsuit, Phillips was forced to sell the contract of one of his budding young singers. To add insult to injury, that budding young singer ended up having a worldwide #1 hit with the very song that caused him to leave Sun in the first place.
Ryan's 1955 version did not chart, and neither did a remake from 1959, but in 1960 the song was revived by Johnny Bond, whose version reached #26 on the Billboard chart.
The song is widely credited with jumpstarting the "hot rod" music genre. When Chuck Berry was first signed to Chess Records, they showed little interest in his attempts at the blues.....but they did see some potential in a song he had presented under the title "Ida May", which was an obvious revival of the 1930s country song "Ida Red". Chess wasn't really interested in a country revival, so they suggested that the song would have more appeal to the youth market if Berry could re-write the lyrics around a theme that involved automobiles. Berry quickly scribbled some lyrics which were obviously inspired by "Hot Rod Race".....and the world was never the same.
Anyway, now you know why Commander Cody asked "Have you heard the story of the Hot Rod Race?"
Leroy Hoard
Footballguy
They just don't write lyrics like this anymore.
Now the boys all thought that I'd lost my sense
Those telephone poles were like a picket fence
They said "Slow down, I see spots!"
The lines on the road just looked like dots
Now the boys all thought that I'd lost my sense
Those telephone poles were like a picket fence
They said "Slow down, I see spots!"
The lines on the road just looked like dots
Bracie Smathers
Footballguy
I could not find much on the song so that was excellent. The only thing I discovered was the name Commander Cody came from a B-Movie serial character as did the Lost Planet Airmen.
If you read and clicked the links in Scooter's post the entire song was lifted from 1955 when Charley Ryan and The Livingston Bros originally did the song so you are right their is nothing like that being written today. I can see how the original Rockabilly song got buried with the poor production values and weak vocals. I like Commander Cody's (George Frayne) version as they updated the sound and improved the quality also Frayne's vocals are a great fit with the lyrics which is raw and gravely like he had been smoking Camel non-filters for thirty years.
Bracie Smathers
Footballguy
This was a big hit with the Jackson Five but Micheal's 9 year old vocals don't quite fit the tune. This cover by Black Moses hit the groove.
Released November 1971
Ike who did Shaft put out his follow-up album Black Moses and the album folded out to show this pic. >>> Isaachayes-blackmoses-unfolded
Released November 1971
Ike who did Shaft put out his follow-up album Black Moses and the album folded out to show this pic. >>> Isaachayes-blackmoses-unfolded
Mr. Mojo
Footballguy
Always liked that one. I think that we still occasionally quote some of the lines from it.
Leroy Hoard
Footballguy
Bracie Smathers
Footballguy
Forgot to mention that Issac Hayes wrote Sam and Dave's huge hit 'Hold On I'm Comn' with Ike's writing partner David Porter. So Hayes was not the over night success that some may assume. He was known and a pretty big wheel in the music industry leading up to Shaft.
Zegras11
Footballguy
Wife and kids look at me like some sorta freak as I know every word to this song and can keep up with it when i sing it.
Bracie Smathers
Footballguy
I re-discovered this song when making the list.
Soo mellow and soothing, I love it.
Released 29 November 1971
Soo mellow and soothing, I love it.
Released 29 November 1971
zamboni
Footballguy
Great song, although if you're going with only one Floyd tune, I would have expected the mighty "Echoes".
Bracie Smathers
Footballguy
Decades later Rod released a live version of this song in 1993 on the album Unplugged...and Seated. Between the two releases the two versions of "Reason to Believe" logged a total of 41 weeks on the Hot 100, more than any other Rod Stewart song.
Released July 1971
Released July 1971
This is one of my all-time favorite deep cuts by any artist. Love the pace of the melody and the guitar work is beautiful imo.
Clapclapclap
timschochet
Footballguy
squistion
Footballguy
Sadly this song was overshadowed and has been mostly forgotten due to the success of the flip side Maggie May.
Written by the late great Tim Hardin who penned and had the original version of If I Were A Carpenter
wikkidpissah
Footballguy
thought this or a pop song - which i'll highlight when you (hopefully) pick it, it actually was the top pop song of the year - might have been mr timmy's original #1 and whatsisname gave him an out with Levee not to take #### for it
Bracie Smathers
Footballguy
From the soundtrack of the move 'Harold and Maude'. The movie was a critical and commercial failure when it came out. This song was not released on any album until 1983 after 'Harold and Maude' (ranked 45 on the AFI's list of funniest movies of all-time) became a cult classic and earned a profit.
Release date December 20, 1971
Harold and Maude
Release date December 20, 1971
Harold and Maude
Have to give a special shout out to the actress who played Harold's emotionally distant mother (Vivian Pickles) plays her role to perfection. Absolutely hysterical.
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Leroy Hoard
Footballguy
Bracie Smathers
Footballguy
Congas and bass brewing a slow groove into rock poetry as War's first hit without Eric Burden.
Released November 1971
Interesting tidbit. Slippin' directly influenced Bob Marley's Get Up, Stand Up.'
War drummer and founding member Harold Brown:
You can hear similarities between this song and Bob Marley's 1973 release, "Get Up, Stand Up." Says Brown: "Me and Bob Marley and B.B. Dickerson were in Atlanta, that was the last time we were together. We were walking to the radio station. Bob Marley looks at me, and he punches me on the arm, and he said, 'Boo. I do song for you guys. I do song for you guys.' Song was "Get up, stand up, stand up for your rights.' He took that from 'Slippin' Into Darkness,' that motif. He told me, 'Your band, you're like us, you're street musicians.' That's when I knew we connected.
Released November 1971
Interesting tidbit. Slippin' directly influenced Bob Marley's Get Up, Stand Up.'
War drummer and founding member Harold Brown:
You can hear similarities between this song and Bob Marley's 1973 release, "Get Up, Stand Up." Says Brown: "Me and Bob Marley and B.B. Dickerson were in Atlanta, that was the last time we were together. We were walking to the radio station. Bob Marley looks at me, and he punches me on the arm, and he said, 'Boo. I do song for you guys. I do song for you guys.' Song was "Get up, stand up, stand up for your rights.' He took that from 'Slippin' Into Darkness,' that motif. He told me, 'Your band, you're like us, you're street musicians.' That's when I knew we connected.
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Leroy Hoard
Footballguy
Great job so far by the thread starter. Even with the first 100 picks off the board some solid sleepers that might have snuck by most of us.
Bracie Smathers
Footballguy
Kenny Loggins wrote this song at age 17 when he was in high school. An allegory for loss of childhood. Its one of Loggins' most popular songs and a staple of his live performances.
Released November 1971
Released November 1971
Leroy Hoard
Footballguy
Wow, just when I was saying nice things, he comes up with a song that includes the words pooh & corner.
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